Projectile



W. H. FARR June 25, 1946.

PROJ ECTILE Filed May 20, 1945 iNI/ENTOR ATTURNEY Patented June 25, 1946 PROJ ECTILE Warren H. Farr, Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of War Application May 20, ,1943, Serial No. 487,689

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to projectiles, more particularly to projectiles of the rocket-propelled type.

In rocket-propelled projectiles, a casing is attached to the trailing end of the main projectile body and the propelling pressures are developed within this casing. Upon explosionl of the main projectile,'the casing is also shattered through the medium of a burster tube projecting from the trailingend of the main projectile body. The rocket motor charge is carried within a cage located within the casing and secured to the base end of the main projectile body. The present invention has to do with improvements in the cage and has for its object the provision of a rocket motor charge retaining cage of improved construction which not only can be quickly and economically manufactured but also can be quickly loaded with the rocket motor charge and efficiently attached to the projectile body.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed.

In the drawing, which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the invention,

Figure l is a longitudinal section through the structural parts forming the projectile, and

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken approximately on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the projectile in gen eral comprises a main projectile body III for receiving the explosive charge (not shown) and having a. base end I I provided with an axial passage I2 through the base end I I through which a burster tube I3 extends, the edge I4 of the open end of the tube being spun into a counter bore I5 in the base end, The tube is brazed through the use of silver solder I6 or other suitable material to the walls of the opening I2`to provide a gastight connection. The projectile further includes a tubular casing I1 threadably secured at its leading end, as indicated at I8, to the base end I I and terminating at its trailing end in a Venturi passage I9, Suitable stabilizing fins are pivotally mounted to a ring 2I which is threaded to the trailing end of the casing so indicated at 22. During flight, `the fins 20 pivot outwardly to the position shown in broken outline.

The construction thus far described forms no part of the present invention.

The rocket motor charge, although not shown in the drawing, is supported within a cage 23 which, surrounds the burster tube I3.

ring 24 of metal to which the ends of a pluralityA of rods 25 are secured, as by welding as indicated at 26. The opposite ends of the rods 25 are upset to provide heads 21. The rocket motor charge (not shown) is loaded into the cage thus described before mounting the cage on the base end II of the projectile body I0.

Mounting of the cage 23 is effected through an internally threaded band 28 having a peripheral flange 29, the flange 29 being formed with a series of slots 30 opening radially inwardly from the periphery thereof, the spacing of the slots 30 corresponding to the circumferential spacing of the rods 25. It will be noted that the diameter of the flange 29 is substantially greater than the diameter of the circle passing through the axes of the rods 25.

After the motor charge is loaded into the cage 23, the rods 25, which preferably are of spring metal, are sprung apart to permit assembly of the mounting band 28 interiorly of the rods 2-5, which, upon proper positioning of the flange 29, are then allowed to dispose themselves through their inherent resiliency Within the slots 30, with the heads 21 thereof engaging the flange 29.

The cage assembly then is threaded onto an externally threaded boss 3| projecting from the base end II of the projectile body I 0, which is formed with an annular groove 32 within which the heads 2l extend when the flange 29 is seated against the base end II, as seen in Figure l. The groove 32 which is a Width substantially the same as the diameter of the rod heads 2`I thus securely anchors the rods against radial displacement relative to the mounting band 28.

An important feature of the motor charge retaining cage described is that loading of the same with the motor charge can be rapidly effected without the necessity of thereafter riveting the rods 25, or clinching the ends of the same about the flange 29, or otherwise securing them to the flange 29.

While the leading ends of the rods 25 are shown to be upset to provide the heads 21, it is to be understood that they may be otherwise formed to provide radial shoulders for abutment with the face of the flange 29.

Another advantageous feature of the invention is that the cage is comprised of simple parts and can be rapidly manufactured in quantity production.

It is to be understood that various changes may be made in the detailed construction of the portion of the device described without ldeparting 3 from the spirit and substance of the invention, the scope of which is denned by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

i. In combination, a generally cylindrical cage comprised of a plurality of circumferentially spaced rod-like elements interconnected with each other adjacent one end of said cage and being disconnected at the other end of said cage, the ends of said elements at said last-mentioned cage end having radial shoulders, a member having an end face and a threaded portion, and means for attaching said cage to said member comprising an annular element provided with a plurality of slots extending radially through the periphery thereof and being circumferentially spaced the same as said rod-like elements, each slot having one of said rod-like elements disposed therein with the radial shoulder of the rod-like element engaging said annular element, said annular element having a threaded connection with said threaded portion and said end face having means for preventing displacement of Said rod-like elements from said slots.

2. In combination, a generally cylindrical cage comprised of a plurality of circumferentially spaced rod-like elements interconnected with each other adjacent one end of said cage and being disconnected at the other end oi. said cage, the ends of said elements at said last-mentioned cage end having radial shoulders, a member having an end face and a threaded portion, and means for attaching said cage to said member comprising an annular element provided with a plurality of slots extending radially through the periphery thereof and being circumferentially spaced the same as said rod-like elements, each slot having one of said rod-like elements disposed therein with the radial shoulder of the -rod-like element engaging said annular element, said annular element having threaded engagement with said threaded portion and said end face having an annular groove therein for receiving said lastmentioned ends and to prevent displacement of said rod-like elements from said slots.

3. In a rocket-type projectile, a body having a base end provided with a threaded portion axially of the face of said end, a generally cylindrical cage for containing a rocket motor charge, comprised of a plurality of circumferentially spaced rod-like elements interconnected adjacent one end of said cage and disconnected at the other end of said cage, the ends of said elements at said other cage end having upset heads, and means for `attaching said cage to said base end comprising an annular element disposed within said cage and having radial recesses in which said rod-like elements are disposed, said recesses opening through the peripheral wall of said annular element to permit disposition of said rodlike elements in said recesses after insertion of said annular element in said cage, said heads engaging said annular element, said annular ele- 4 ment being threaded to said threaded portion and being in engagement with said base end face and said face having an annular groove into which said upset heads extend, said groove preventing displacement of said rods from said recesses upon assembly of said cage to said body.

4. In a rocket-type projectile, a. body having a base end provided with a face end an externally threaded boss coaxial with said tace, a generally cylindrical cage for containing a rocket-motor charge and comprised of a plurality of circumferentially spaced rod-like elements interconnected with each other adjacent one end of said cage, the ends of said elements at the other end of said cage having head portions and being disconnected, and an internally threaded sleeve having a circumferential flange provided with a plurality of notches opening through the periphery thereof, each of said notches having one oi' said rod-like elements disposed therein with its head portion engaging said flange, said sleeve having threaded engagement with said boss to engage said flange firmly with said face of said base end, said face provided with an annular recess, said head portions of said rod-like elements projecting into said recess and being restrained by the outer wall thereof against radially outward displacement whereby to maintain said rod-like elements in said notches while said cage is assembled to said body.

5. In a rocket type projectile having a projectile body provided with a base end, said end having a, coaxial threaded portion, a cage for containing a rocket motor charge and comprising a plurality of peripherally spaced rod-like elements interconnected at one end of the cage and having a supporting and mounting element at the other end of the cage, said supporting and mounting element having openings therein for receiving said rod-like elements at said other end and being threaded to said threaded portion for supporting said cage on said base end in coaxial alignment therewith.

6. In a rocket type projectile having a projectile body provided with a base end, said end having a coaxial cylindrical boss portion, a cage for containing a rocket motor charge and comprising a plurality of peripherally spaced rod-like elements interconnected at one end of the cage and a rod supporting and mounting element at the other end of the cage, said rod supporting and mounting element being of annular formation and having a coaxial sleeve at its inner periphery and a-plurality of slots adjacent its outer periphery corresponding in number with and having the same spacing as said rod-like elements, each rodlike element being disposed in .one of said slots and having a head portion bearing against a side face of said mounting element, said sleeve being secured in surrounding relation to said boss p0rtion, and said base end being recessed in its face for the reception of said head portions.

WARREN H. FARR. 

